How to: Force Bulbs for Christmas

It’s easy to force hyacinths and narcissus to bloom early so you can display them indoors in time for Christmas. For the best results start early in October and make sure you buy ‘prepared’ bulbs as they’ve been treated to respond well to forcing.

Forced bulbs are simple to grow in planters filled with compost while hyacinths work particularly well in glass vases especially designed for the job. Whichever method you opt for, forced bulbs are great for bringing colour and fragrance to your home. They also make wonderful gifts for friends and loved ones this Christmas. Check out our step-by-step video and try it out for yourself for beautiful results.

Forcing bulbs in a planter

We used:

Paperwhite narcissus bulbs

Decorative planter

Compost

Moss

Forcing hyacinths in a vase

We used:

Prepared hyacinths bulbs

Water

Hyacinth vase

Top tip

Create a real statement by lining up or grouping several vases – a line on a mantelpiece works really well.